


Starry Nights

by PixelatedRose



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Jschlatt was a guard in Phil's kingdom, M/M, No fluid storyline (read desc), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Phil is king of a far off land and the sbi + tubbo are princes, Sally is NOT a fish, Sally is a river spirit btw, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelatedRose/pseuds/PixelatedRose
Summary: As they all looked across their land, the homes and lights flashing and bleeding color into the sky and ground, they spoke in soft words and sad sighs, their eyes twisting and dancing from one emotion to the next in a flurry of memories. They would not forget it all so soon, the things in their lives. “...The stars are out tonight…”A collection of short stories scattered around the smp timeline. (Read chap. 1 beginning notes for more info)
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu, Clay | Dream/Floris | Fundy, No Non-Canon Romantic Relationships, Wilbur Soot/Sally, everyone else is all platonic
Comments: 4
Kudos: 96





	1. A Warm Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!! Yep I made another fic, fight me ig.  
> This is just gonna be a continuously updating fic that's just full of little short stories that take place all across the dream smp timeline. They're all in the same world and same timeline with the same characters, but otherwise are disconnected stories from one another. You don't have to read the chapters in order if you don't want to, but be warned- some of these are angsty, some of these are fluffy. You will not be able to tell from the titles I give the chapters either.
> 
> And now!! the disclaimer :)  
> DISCLAIMER!! All of this is just for fun, any ships in here are just to follow the canon of the smp plot. that being said, if any ccs express discomfort at the idea of: being shipped, being included in fanfiction, or otherwise written about in some way, this will be taken down immediately!! Do note though, I am only one kid, I may be late to hear news of such. If any ccs have already stated they don't wish to be in fanfiction/shipped and I have included them in this, please tell me!! :)
> 
> With that, I hope you enjoy Starry Nights!

“Technoblade, get  _ down _ from there!!” Philza Minecraft yelled at his eldest son, who had decided the best way to evade bathtime was to jump from the balcony onto the chandelier.

“No way!! How are you gonna get me  _ now _ , Dad?!” Techno yelled from the jingling crystals. His dirt covered face was nothing but confident anger, the look screaming. ‘Look, dad, I  _ won _ this time.’

Would he ever learn?

Phil decided he probably wouldn’t.

Spreading his wings, Phil soared by the chandelier and swooped up his rebellious child, who had shrieked in fear. “Techno you can’t keep dodging around bathtime! You are _ten_ _years_ old! You’re gonna get lice and shit!!”

Techno huffed from Phil’s arms as the blond man carried him to the bathing room. “I am  _ not _ gonna get lice and shit-”

Phil bapped his son on the head. “Hey! No cursing!”

“But you curse!!”

“That’s because I’m an adult, Techno. Children like you don’t need to be cursing- you have nothing to curse  _ at _ !”

Techno stuck out his tongue. “I have Wilbur and Tommy to curse at! They’re mean…”

Phil laughed as he pulled the dirty shirt off his son, who had given up on fighting him now. “Techno, Tommy is three!! He is not mean, he’s a toddler.”

“Fine, then just Wilbur!!” Techno whined as he was begrudgingly got into the tub. “Wilbur told the gardener I hated his rose bushes!!”

Phil gave his son a side glance as he washed the grime from his muddy face. “Is that true? Do you hate the rose bushes?”

Techno moved so harshly, water splashed outside the tub. “NO!!! I love Mr. Gold’s bushes! And he always lets me trim them too!!”

Phil sighed, scrubbing away at his son. "Well, did you tell Mr. Gold that you love his bushes?"

Techno looked down. "No…I pushed Wilbur into the river and ran off…"

Phil looked up and stared into the wall a moment. “Ah so  _ that _ was why Marie told me Wil was a troublemaker...In any case, that wasn’t very nice of Wil, was it?” Techno nodded and huffed. “Well it’s training day tomorrow- maybe you can get your revenge then, hm?”

Techno looked up at Phil with bright eyes. “Re..venge?”

“Oh yeah. Chase him around the yard with a sword, make him train with an axe- you know how he hates axes-” Phil raised up his hands. “But hey- you didn’t hear it from me!” He ruffled his son’s hair with a bar of soap, making the fluffy dark locks stick together. “Now let’s get you all washed up, hm?”

“ _ Noo!! _ You can’t make me!! MAIDS!! MAIDS THE KING IS TRYING TO DROWN ME!!!”

Phil laughed and tried to get his son to settle down.

Let’s just say Phil’s clothes and wings were a little... _ damp _ , after Techno’s bath.

* * *

It was a good day outside and Phil had decided to watch his kids play out in the garden a bit while he brushed up on his sword technique.

Of course, Techno was absolutely fascinated by the blade and Phil’s movements, not sparing a moment to interrupt his father and berate him with questions. So Phil forced him to go play hide and seek with his brothers.

Phil loved his sons- they brought him extraordinary amounts of joy- but being around them every free moment he had tended to be exhausting. Its fair to say that Phil deserved a moment or two on his own.

Then a moment or two became an hour, then three, and then as the sun was setting over the castle, Wilbur and Techno came running out of the maze with tears in their eyes and dirt and scratches all over.

“DAD DAD DAD!!!” The children shouted, Techno sprinting as fast as he could and Wilbur trying to do the same, only to stop to catch his breath.

Phil met the boys halfway and fit his hands over his sons’, worry across his face. He would normally trust his sons to take care of themselves or at least the castle workers to keep eyes on them, but the tears falling down Wilbur's face and the mud and scratches on Techno's told Phil something had happened.

"DAD I'M SORRY WE-" 

"THEN WE GOT LOST-" 

"AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN-" 

"AND IT WAS TECHNO WHO-" 

"AND THEN WILBUR-"

"Hey, hey, hey!!" Phil smiled at his distressed sons. "Hey don't worry it's okay now, your father's got you now! It's okay." He hugged his sons close and then pulled them away. "Now calm down and tell me what happened. Where's-"

In unison, the shout made Phil's heart pump hard.

"WE LOST TOMMY!!!"

Phil thought of the loud and confident toddler, always reckless and chaotic but too young to know better. And he thought of his other two sons and how they must be feeling- scared, upset, guilty. The winged man stood up and kept his voice calm and friendly.

“Okay! It’s okay.” He turned to his oldest son. “Techno, I need you to stay here-”

“No!! Dad I can help look for Tommy, I’m sorry I know I messed up, b-but I want to look for him a-and-” Techno was stuttering and sputtering and his face was becoming more and more wet as his tears fell under his glasses.

Phil reached down and placed his hands on the boy’s cheeks, wiping away tears as they fell. “Hey, it’s okay Techno.” The boy’s big grey eyes broke the king’s heart a little, but he knew exactly what to say. “I need you to stay here, Techno, because if Tommy comes back on his own I need you to be here for him. I trust you Techno. You’re a good big brother and I know I can trust you to keep an eye out for Tommy if he comes home.” He pressed a kiss into his son’s hair and gave him a hug. “I know I can trust you with this big job, Techno. Can you do that?”

The dark haired boy wiped at his eyes and nodded. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Thank you, Techno.” Phil smiled. He turned over to Wilbur and held out his hand. “Wil, I need you to come with me, okay? I need your help to find Tommy in the maze. Do you think you can handle it?”

Wilbur nodded through his teary eyes that refused to stop crying. “I-I ca-an! I-I’m a-a big bo-oy!” The little eight year old blubbered out, trying to be confident and strong as his tears choked his words.

Phil picked up the boy and nodded at him seriously. “That’s right, Wil. You are a big boy and you’re a good big brother too. That’s why I know you can help me find Tommy.” Setting the boy down, Phil wrapped his hand around his son’s. “We’ll be back soon, Techno. If you find Tommy, take him inside and send Marie to come find me. I trust you, Techno.” And with that he reached into the magic space inside him- a place called The Inventory- and a shiny and translucently blue dagger appeared in his hand. He handed the crystal object to his oldest son and ruffled his hair. “Just in case. Stay safe out here, Techno, I’ll be back soon and then we can all go inside and have some hot cocoa.”

Techno nodded and his small hand gripped the dagger tightly.

And with that, Phil took Wilbur and the two of them headed into the maze, the sun above them drowning in the impending black of night.

And soon the sky was dotted in scattered white and they were alone in the maze, calling for the small toddler.

“Dad…” Wilbur said after a short while.

“Yes, My Little Prince?” Phil asked softly.

“I’m sorry I fucked up so bad…”

Phil looked down at his son with wide eyes. “Hey, you didn’t fuck up! Why would you say that?”

Wilbur looked away as more tears filled his brown eyes. “Cause...I-it was my fault Tommy go-ot lost…” He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve- the same hand that still clutched Phil’s. “He was be-ing noisy so I-I told him to go h-hide on his own.” He turned and plunged Phil into the biggest hug his small arms could manage. “Dad I fucked up so bad I’m sorry it’s all my fault!!!”

Phil knelt down and wrapped his son up in a hug. “Oh dear...Wil you didn’t fuck up shit. You should have stayed with Tommy, true, but it’s not your fault he got lost.” He stroked his son’s hair as the small prince hiccupped into his coat. “These things just happen sometimes, Wil. And look-” He pulled away and placed his hands to Wilbur’s shoulders. “You’re helping look for him! So you really didn’t fuck up that bad if you’re trying to make it right, huh?”

Wilbur sniffed again then wiped his eyes. “I guess not!” He said with a wet laugh. “C’mon, dad, let’s go find Tommy!”

Phil smiled. “Actually, I have an idea that might help us find him, but first-” Wilbur looked up at his father curiously, only to be met with a whack on the head.

“Ow!! Hey!!” The prince whined.

Phil glared slightly. “No cussing, dammit.” And with that, Phil swooped his son up into his arms and spread his wings. “Okay, ready?”

“Yeah!!” Wilbur bounced back surprisingly fast from his prior mood and Phil couldn’t help but smile. Kids...So full of energy.

From high in the sky, Phil and Wilbur could see the twists and turns and secrets of the maze, but still they didn’t see the small toddler. They had been flying for ten minutes when Wilbur spoke again.

“Dad what if Tommy is lost forever…?”

Phil didn’t even want to think about that- no matter how illogical it was. “He won’t be lost forever, Wil, I promise. We’re gonna find him.”

“But, dad, what if we  _ don’t _ !!” And Phil could still hear the panic in his little prince’s voice and it hurt his heart.

“Wilbur-” Phil began, still scanning the tall green bushes for a dot of blond hair or a red shirt. “It’s going to be alright. We’re going to-”

“DAD I SEE HIM, IT’S TOMMY IT’S TOMMY, DAD LOOK I FOUND HIM!!!” Wilbur’s voice brought instant relief and Phil scanned the area again, spotting the little toddler playing with the flowers in one of the many small secret rooms in the maze.

Landing, they had a short reunion of Tommy shouting and babbling about how he won the game, and of Phil and Wilbur taking turns scolding the boy for running off then hugging him in joy.

That night they all slept together, little Tommy in the middle of them all.

* * *

It was one of the few times that Phil decided to take all his kids out to the flower fields. The fields were far from the castle and would often present the royal family with small dangers on the journey.

So of course Phil decided to let his guard captain and his apprentice join them, even if Phil really thought it wasn’t necessary. Wilbur always got along with Jay Schlatt anyway, and it was nice to see his son have friends outside his brothers and the koi fish in the pond.

They reached the fields and the children went rampant with their games, Wilbur asking Schlatt to climb the big oak tree with him, Techno turning and asking the dark haired boy to spar with him, all of them ending up chasing each other with sticks and little Tommy stumbling behind.

Phil sat in the flowers and pulled out a book and quill, writing out words and documents and letters he had yet to do, the guard captain standing at the ready behind him with a bow at his back and a sword at his side.

They had been there not an hour when Tommy- now five- waddled up to Phil with angry tears in his eyes.

“DAAD!!” The little boy whined. “Dad, Techno and Wilbur won’t let me play with them!!”

Phil closed his book with the quill inside. “Awh, Tommy. Tell me about it.” He said, patting his lap.

Tommy came and sat down and Phil began plucking flowers off the ground and weaving them as the boy spoke. “They’re playing with Jay Schlatt and won’t let me play too!”

“Uh huh? What were they doing?” He wove the yellow flowers together, careful to not damage the petals.

“They were climbing the tree! The big one! And I asked Techno to help me up the tree, cause I was too short, and then Wilbur said I was a baby and that babies weren’t allowed to climb trees!! But that’s fuck!! I am not a baby!”

Phil bapped his son on the head. “No cussing. You’re not even using that word right.” He continued weaving, plucking a single red flower to add to the mix. “And you’re right, you’re not a baby, Tommy.”

“That’s right!! They’re just being meanies, huh, right dad?” Tommy said, rubbing his head, not skipping a beat.

“Maybe,” Phil said, the flowers in his hands bending and twining together. “But maybe they just want to have this time to themself with Schlatt. He  _ is _ more of Wilbur’s friend than yours, and Techno spars with him weekly.”

Tommy whined and gave a huff. “But then what should I do?! No one w-will play with me, dad! I just wanna play with someone…”

Phil finished his weaving and turned the blonde boy around in his lap. “Well you have two options, I think.” He said, wiping gently at the small tears in the boy’s eyes. “You can go off and find a friend of your own,” He reached over and dropped the flowers onto the small prince’s head. “Or you can play with me, if you want!”

Tommy looked at Phil and then grabbed the crown of flowers on his head and looked at them. His eyes grew wide, then confused, then- “What the bitch!! How did you make them stick together?!”

Phil thwacked him on the head again and laughed. “Stop cussing- do you want me to teach you how to make them?”

Tommy rubbed at his head as his eyes went starry and he nodded vigorously. “Yes!! And then when I show those jerks Techno will say ‘Wow Tommy you made a crown even better than mine, can you make me one?’ and I will say ‘no Techno you are a bad idiot’ and then he’ll cry!!”

Phil laughed hysterically. “Well maybe  _ don’t  _ do that,” He said, thinking of how the grey eyed boy had matured over the past two years. “But maybe he will want one of your crowns! How cool would that be, hm?”

Tommy nodded. “That would be the coolest!!”

They spent hours together in that field making and weaving flower crowns. Techno was the first to come ask what they were doing together. Tommy told him to ‘shit off’ earning another whap from Phil. Then Wilbur came over, dragging a groaning Schlatt behind him. Tommy said another similar thing and Wilbur cussed back at him, both boys getting a whack. And when Schlatt snickered behind Wilbur, all Phil had to do was glare at the boy.

By the end of the day, everyone was covered in flowers.

Phil had two crowns, a necklace and three bracelets, Wilbur had a crown and a bracelet and so did Schlatt, Techno had two bracelets and a crown he wore on top of his real one, even the guard captain had a necklace around their neck and crown on their head. Tommy had a crown and a necklace, and by the time they were leaving, he was still weaving another crown.

Phil thought it was a good day.

They all left as the midday sun began to slowly slowly descend through the sky, the family walking along, Wilbur and Schlatt lagging behind, Techno beside Phil, and Tommy on his father’s shoulders, still weaving.

And then Phil heard something from coming from the side of the road- from the bottom of the dry and grassy hill.

“Hold a moment, captain- did you hear that?” His tone had darkened a little, but was still light as to not unnecessarily scare the children. He placed Tommy on the ground next to Techno and listened again.

As he heard it once more, he told the others to stay put with his guard captain and slid down the side of the hill.

At the bottom there was a wooden crate. And inside the crate was the source of the noise- the teary eyed cries of a child. And the child looked up at Phil, his brown hair long and messy, his pale face smudged in soot and dirt. He had on a bracelet with a simple tag on it.  _ “5 years old. 50 emeralds.” _ The tag made Phil sick and he knelt down calmly to the crying child.

“Hello, there!” He said kindly. “My name is Philza, what’s your name?”

The child stuttered violently. “D-d-d-don-don’t h-h-hu-hurt- don’t hurt, p-pl-pl-ple-ase-”

“Hey, hey…! I’m not going to hurt you, little one. I promise.” He eyed the tag on his wrist again, the twine looking like it was cutting into his wrist. “Can I see your hand for a moment?”

The boy shook his head and pulled it close to him. “N-n-no m-mo- no more, I-I’m s-sc- d-don’t-”

“I’m not going to let anything bad happen, to you.” Phil said calmly. “I need to see your hand for just a moment though. It looks like it hurts, doesn’t it?”

The child sniffed and looked down at his wrist, which was red. The poor boy’s entire body was shaking and it made Phil’s heart wrench. Finally, slowly, the boy lent his hand to Phil.

Phil took it gently and pulled out a small glassy-blue dagger, cutting the string quickly before the child panicked again and pulled his hand back in fear. “Hey! See! I’m not going to hurt you, I just wanted to take that tag off so it wasn’t hurting you anymore, okay?” Phil explained, holding up the now broken tag.

The child shook his head at the tag and tried to stutter out something that sounded like ‘no.’

“You don’t like the tag? Watch-” Phil did a hand trick and stored it into The Inventory with a puff of smoke. “Now the tag is gone forever! No more tag.”

“N-n-no mo-more ta-tag…?” The boy shook.

Phil nodded. “No more tag. Not ever again.”

“E-ever f-f-for-ev-ever?”

Phil smiled. “Ever forever, little one.”

And before Phil knew what was going on, the boy had crawled out of the box and into Phil’s lap. “N-n-nic-ce…”

Phil smiled gently and held the boy, stroking his dirty hair. “That’s right, I’m nice…” He picked the boy up and began back up the hill. He’d have to make a detour on his way home to drop the boy off at the orphanage.

At the top of the hill, he got questions from his guard captain and Wilbur and Schlatt- the two kids not shutting up because ‘oh wow an entire  _ kid _ !!!’ Phil was forced to put the child down for a moment to address everything. And in the chaos of discussion and explanation, the world stopped for the word that dropped from Tommy’s mouth.

“Friend!!” It was a simple word, but as they looked down, they saw the small boy adorned with flowers atop his head and Tommy clinging to his arm. The small prince looked up to his father and smiled with stars in his eyes. “Dad, me and him are friends now!! Look I gave him a crown so he’s a prince just like me!!”

And as Phil looked down at the dirty boy and saw that his shaking had stopped. His blue eyes locked onto Tommy’s flowers and the arm around his own. And Phil realized he had already made up his mind the moment he’d seen the child. 

He laughed and picked up Tommy, setting him on his shoulders, the other boy looking sad that Tommy was no longer beside him. But it was short lived as Phil scooped him up in his arms as well. “Just don’t tell your mother there’s another prince!!” He laughed. And once again Phil turned to the small boy in his arms. “My name’s dad, what’s your name?”

The boy smiled wide and opened his mouth in his first unstuttered word. “Tubbo!”

“Welcome to the family, Tubbo!”

* * *

Tubbo had been part of the family for three years now and Tommy and him never seemed to separate.

“Tubbo we should prank Wilbur!! Let’s put butter in his fucking shoes!!” Tommy once yelled, coming into their shared room.

“Tommy if you’re going to shout your plans, you should make sure no one else is in the room first.” Phil called from his place next to Tubbo.

“Ah shit!!! I didn’t know you were here, that’s not fair!!” The blonde menace whined.

Phil tossed a pencil at Tommy’s head, the small object bouncing off harmlessly. “No cussing. And that’s your own fault, Tommy. Now I’m going to hide the butter.” He paused a moment and muttered out a word to Tubbo.

“What the fuck!!! But I wanted to prank Wilbur with Tubbo, that's not fair!!!”

“It’s completely fair, Tommy. Besides, Tubbo’s doing homework.” Phil said, now guiding Tubbo’s hand as he wrote.

“How come Tubbo has to do more homework than us! It’s bullshit!!”

Phil sighed and finally stood up and walked over to Tommy, knocking him on the head. “No cussing, kid. And Tubbo has to do more homework because he has a harder time writing shit. Maybe you-”

“Fine then I’ll just help him!!” Tommy shouted.

That was...unexpected...at least coming from Tommy it was. “Alright. You can help Tubbo then. Be nice, I’ll be back in half an hour.”

It was a few weeks later when the next thing happened.

“Dad!! Dad dad dad!! I want to cook!!” Wilbur had come up to Phil in the middle of the day, the King sitting up on his throne and reading over documents.

“You want to cook?” Phil cocked his head. “What made you want to cook?” He asked, rolling up the scroll in his hands.

Wilbur shifted. “Well, Tubbo said that he’s never had macaroons before, and you always said I was good at making them, so I wanted to cook them for Tubbo!!”

Phil smiled. “Aw, that’s nice of you, Wil. I’m a little busy right now, but how about you teach Tubbo how to bake? I can tell Marie to keep an eye on you two.”

Wilbur smiled. “Holy shit, you’re right!! That’s a good idea!!” And before Phil could whap his son on the head for cursing, the boy was gone.

“HEY!! No cuss...ing- nevermind.” Phil laughed and shook his head. “They’re never gonna fucking listen…”

That day they had enough mangled-but-still-delicious macaroons to feed even the castle staff.

Then it was another few months when Techno came up to Phil.

“Dad…”

“Yeah, Techno? What’s up, mate?”

Techno tugged at his shirt a bit, and Phil noticed his hair was getting a bit long. “I’m worried about Tubbo.”

Phil sat up straighter. “You’re worried about Tubbo? Has he done something, is he okay?”

Techno held up his hands. “No no!! Tubbo is fine!! I’m just…” He looked down a bit and pushed his glasses up. “He hasn’t had any combat training like Wilbur and Tommy and me...What if he gets into a fight or something? He should learn how to fight like the rest of us.”

Phil thought. “You know, you’re right about that Techno. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but you’re right. Who-”

“So I can train him?!” Techno looked up, a determined look on his face and sparkles in his eyes.

Phil blinked. “I mean sure. I was gonna say-”

“YES!!!” Techno bounced, his crown falling over his eyes slightly. “Thanks dad, I’ll see you later!!”

And then he was off.

The last thing that happened was the night before Tommy’s birthday, where they would celebrate both him and Tubbo turning nine. All the kids were in bed, and Phil sat up in his room writing documents. Then he heard a small knock on his door.

“Come in!” He called, expecting a maid or other castleworker.

“...Hey, dad…?” Phil, not expecting the voice, looked over at Tubbo.

“Oh, Tubbo! You should be in bed, is something wrong?”

Tubbo looked around, seeming lost almost, before he shook his head and climbed his way into Phil’s lap.

Phil smiled and let the boy stay there as he wrote.

“Dad, why did you make me a prince?”

Phil stopped writing.

“What do you mean, little one?”

“Techno and Wilbur and Tommy are all princes, but you didn’t pick them up in boxes on the side of the road, did you?”

Phil held onto his son a little more. “I didn’t, you’re right.”

“Then why did you make me a prince? You didn’t have to adopt me.”

“Tubbo…” Phil picked him up and took him outside to the balcony. “Let me show you something.” He glanced down at his adopted son. “You holding on tight?”

Tubbo latched onto Phil tighter and nodded his head.

Spreading his wings, Phil soared into the sky and flew. He knew the place he was going to.

In 20 minutes of fast flying, he made it there.

“Tubbo, do you know where we are?”

“This is the flower fields...You took us here a while ago. Tommy showed me how to make flower crowns.”

“That’s right. Did you know this is the place me and your brothers spent the day at before I found you?”

Tubbo shook his head.

“This is my favorite place in the world, Tubbo. Do you know why?”

Tubbo echoed himself, shaking his head again.

“It’s because I was here the day I found you.”

The world was very quiet now and together they sat in the dark field of flowers, the sky dotted with stars and fireflies.

“I think I want to go home now.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. It’s my birthday tomorrow, after all!”

Phil smiled. “It sure is, son.” The sky was so bright with stars tonight…

“Dad?”

“Yes, Tubbo?”

“I’m glad you made me a prince.”

The stars reflected in Phil’s eyes as he thought of all his sons and how much he loved his children.

“Me too, Tubbo.”

And the stars reflected in the tears that fell from his eyes.


	2. Missing You

When Ghostbur had given Tommy the compass, he had thanked him of course, but he hadn't actually meant it. That's why for days he would leave it cold and alone in his chest and forget it ever existed.

Okay fine, maybe Tommy didn't leave the compass in his chest...It was his end chest.

…or at least that was the plan- BUT he still didn't look at it when he had it stored in The Inventory! He didn't care- Tubbo had left him behind. He'd actually done worse than that- he'd tossed him out.

And...that…

Tommy stared at the compass for the eighth time that night. He thought about Tubbo. He did. He never wanted to admit it, and while the day's sun shone on his skin he never would.

But it was night now and nothing stayed in the secret caves inside Tommy's head for long when it was night.

He missed Tubbo.

He did.

And it was reflected in the hot tears that trickled down Tommy's dirty face, reflecting in the tourchlight and from the half moon in the sky.

Tommy scoffed as he looked at the moon's reflection in the glass of the Compass.

Half moon.

It mocked him.

It laughed at him and poked at all the good memories in his head and told him he was alone. It told him the truth and he hated it.

Half moon.

It reflected him.

It was a sick metaphor in Tommy's heart and it made him remember when he felt whole- when he had Tubbo by his side- ALWAYS by his side ready to take on the world with him.

Tommy placed every single last drop of trust he had in Tubbo. There was absolutely nothing that Tommy wouldn't trust Tubbo with. 

He trusted him when they lost the Election. He trusted him when Wilbur went mad. He trusted him when Dream tried to tear Pogtopia apart by saying there was a traitor. He trusted him when he was elected president. He trusted him right up until the end when Dream wanted Tubbo to exile him. He even still trusted him as he was pushed from the obsidian walls and forced out of his home- a command sent by Tubbo himself.

Even now…

Tommy hated himself for it, but even now...Tommy still trusted him.

He trusted him to lead L'manburg. He trusted him to look after the friends he left behind. He trusted him to figure out what was right. He trusted him to eventually come back for Tommy…

Tommy watched the Compass and the needle that spun.

If he was being honest, sometimes Tommy wished Wilbur hadn't ever come back. Sometimes he wished Wilbur had never come out of that forest with that little Fox boy in his arms. Sometimes he wished L'manburg never got built. Sometimes he wished his father had come sooner. Sometimes he wished he'd seen through Schlatt sooner. 

Sometimes he wished he would never wake up, not when he dreamed of home so often. Not when he dreamed of times filled with laughter and joy and the warm home he had. Not when he dreamed of the castle or of the flower fields. Not when he dreamed of sitting on his bench with Tubbo again. Not when waking up was so cruel…

Tommy watched the Compass. He stared at it and kept staring and couldn't figure out why he was crying.

Tommy watched the Compass. His finger traced the line of the needle and when it wavered his heart jumped.

Tommy watched the Compass. And he flipped it over and stared at the engraving set on the back.

_ Your Tubbo. _

And in the black of night, and in the deepest wells of his heart and mind, and in the shadows of his aloneness- where no one was around to hear him or see him or feel his violent grief-

Tommy cried.

Over.

And over.

And over again.

"...please...god...if there is a god...please…"

* * *

When Ghostbur had given Tubbo the Compass, he'd stared at it. He didn't exactly know what to do. And he continued to stare at it over and over and over again.

And then when he had finally had enough of staring at the glass, he had slipped it into his pocket.

And it was only then he felt the hot wet trailing like how snow falls down his cheeks.

He ignored it that day and from then refused to pull out the Compass again. He had exiled Tommy. He didn't need to be reminded of it. Tommy was in the past now, all Tubbo needed to focus on now was L'manburg. That's why he would keep the Compass far out of mind.

Far...out of mind…

If far out of mind was his pocket, gripping it when he felt scared or stressed, then The Inventory was if it was completely forgotten and his end chest was as if it never existed in the first place.

So Tubbo kept the Compass far out of mind and always within reach and he ignored the way he latched onto it and ignored everything it reminded him about.

But it was night now.

The moon was out.

The lights in L'manburg were out- save for the paper lanterns that floated endlessly above the city.

And while Tubbo would never show it or say it while the world was lit about by the yellow sun in the sky, it was night now.

And night had a horrible way of coaxing secrets and memories out of the unwilling.

And so for what felt like the eighth time that night, Tubbo stared at the Compass.

He could admit it to himself. He wasn't afraid of it. Or at least that's what he told himself as panic seized his chest and the tears leaked from his unwilling eyes every time he thought of it.

It had always been him, it had always been Tommy, it was always them- together and in it until the last fucking breath.

They would fight side by side and laugh when they messed up.

They were never apart- from the day they had met.

Tubbo remembered Tommy helping him with his writing and reading. He remembered once when Wilbur taught him to bake and Tommy tried to help. He remembered when Techno started to teach him to fight and Tommy would throw sticks at him during practice to "help with his reflexes."

He remembered when they left home together-  _ together _ \- and when Wilbur left and they built a house together-  _ together _ \- and when Wilbur came back and they made L'manburg together- _ together _ \- and when they lost the election and the fought to bring down Schlatt together-  _ together _ \- and he remembered how they rebuilt L'manburg together-  _ together, together, together _ \- they were always together, in and around each other and their lives intertwining and knotted into each other and as inseparable as a mountain from the earth.

_ They were always together. _

But now they were gone.

They were no longer "Tommy and Tubbo!" But now just "Tommy." and "Tubbo."

Tubbo watched the Compass and the needle that spun.

Sometimes he wished they'd never left the castle. Sometimes he wished they'd decided to go with Techno instead. Sometimes he wished that they'd decided to just live on their own instead of helping Wilbur. Sometimes he wished that they'd actually ran away together when things looked bad during the election. Sometimes he wished he had tried to help Wilbur more than he had.

Sometimes he wished he would never wake up, not when his dreams were so kind. Not when he dreamed of the summer days when Wilbur was gone and it was just him and Tommy. Not when he dreamed of mushroom stew and pumpkin pies- burned and not quite right, but they tasted like home. Not when he dreamed of the castle or of the flower fields. Not when he dreamed of sitting on his bench with Tommy again. Not when waking up was so cruel…

Tubbo watched the Compass. He stared and he kept staring and he couldn't admit to himself why he was crying.

Tubbo watched the Compass. He traced over the needle and held his breath when it was still.

Tubbo watched the Compass. He flipped it over and let his fingers feel the words carved into the once cool metal.

_ Your Tommy. _

And in the unforgiving light of of the lanterns, and in the scolding stare of the half moon in the sky, and in his claustrophobic loneliness- where the world around him was asleep and he was certain no one would bat an eye at him or hear him in his violent regret-

Tubbo cried.

Over.

And over.

And over again.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't mean it...if anyone is listening, please…"

* * *

_"...I want him back…"_

It was cold that night. And though there was no god in the sky to watch them plea, and though no one saw them in their sublime and melancholic cries, the world sighed around them and the earth went silent in a moment of respect for what the world had watched wither away in regret and guilt and grief and rage.

And two men- a father and his son- alone with each other, swore the moon itself cried that night, cursing the air for its cruelty. And that night the wept without reason, the tears of their eyes bleeding into the sky that their shattered family would watch from afar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not sorry.  
> I almost cried.


	3. Memories, Memory, Remember Me (pt 1)

“Phil, kill me, DO IT, STAB ME WITH A SWORD, PHIL, DO IT KILL ME-” Wilbur’s shouts were cut short by a father’s embrace and a hilt stuck between their bodies.

Wilbur was stuck still for a moment as harsh tears trickled down his face. Part of him didn’t think Phil would do it. Part of him didn’t doubt for a second. And part of him knew the truth.

“You…” Phil began to speak through his own tears and Wilbur’s heart shattered at the steadiness of it, how strong it was though it still wavered. “You couldn’t...you just couldn’t let it be, could you?” Phil said horribly and somberly, holding Wilbur close and tight, falling to the ground with the bleeding boy.

Wilbur thought and remembered everything.

The castle on the hill.

The games they played inside it.

The day they found Tubbo.

The day they left home.

The way they found the Smp lands.

Sally and him in the cabin.

Fundy as a baby.

Coming back to the Smp lands.

Building L’manburg.

Fighting for L’manburg.

Dragging his son and little brothers into his pain.

Letting Schlatt be part of it all.

Techno coming to help them.

Wilbur using him.

The way he went insane with power.

The way he threatened everything and everyone he had loved.

The wars he dragged so many lives into.

The explosion just minutes ago.

His father now.

Wilbur took it all in and he recalled everything in his life that mattered to him, that he loved and did wrong, the horrors he committed and the love that he’d felt.

Wilbur, with the last of his strength, tugged his arms around the broken father that held him so dearly.

“I’m sorry...I love you, dad...Thank you…” And as he said the words, his head began to fuzz around the edges of his brain.

He thought he heard his father call out in desperation as his arms slipped away.

He thought he heard another explosion in the distance and the distinct laugh of his brother.

At least Techno was having fun…

And he closed his eyes for a moment.

And when he opened them again, he was sitting on a hill, back, back, back, way back at the castle.

The wind was swaying the dry grass in the late summer.

It was quiet.

It was peaceful.

It was nice.

“So.”

Wilbur turned his head over and was met with his old friend- Jay Schlatt. He had a bottle in hand and the suit he wore was unbuttoned, his tie and coat blowing in the warm breeze as he looked out to the skyline. His mouth dripped with booze in a stream as if he had forgotten to swallow it down.

Schlatt to a sip from his bottle, despite the liquid overflowing his mouth already. “How was it?”

Wilbur stared at him, then looked down at the blood trailing down from his chest. Wilbur gave a pained and amused smile, laced with a chuckle. “It wasn’t that bad.” He said, remembering his father crying over him. “It hurt though.”

Schlatt shook his head and laughed. “Not dying, you blind fuck.” Wilbur watched as he tapped his head. “The memories.”

Again, it all flashed in his mind, but this time, his thoughts lingered on the best memories.

Wilbur smiled fondly. “That part wasn’t all bad, either.”

Schlatt hummed and took another sip before handing the bottle to Wilbur, who took it and gave a good hard drink before handing it back.

“Do you think you’re ready for what comes next?”

Wilbur looked at Schlatt, his gaze traveling to the grass below him and his hands which had spots of blood on them. Finally he closed them into a fist and released it, looking up to the hazy skyline. “I think...I think I’m a little scared…”

Schlatt barked a laugh. “Man, we’re all fucking scared!!” Wilbur looked at him and saw his hands shake. “God, Wil…” He looked down at the bottle in his hands. “I was really fucked up for a while there...You and the others left and Phil...It was different without you guys around.” His eyes went back up and he threw his arms up and laid back into the scratchy grass. “I let myself go to all shit. And when I was kicked out I fucking followed you.” His eyes turned to Wilbur again as a sincere and bitter smile all the same sprawled across his face. “You were my best friend. And I somehow blamed you leaving for all the shit that I’d done. I wanted revenge.”

Wilbur smiled back before laying down next to him. “Well you got it, all right. You made me fucking miserable!” He thought for a while. “It’s not...It’s not your fault I was a horrible person though.” He remembered the things he’d said to so many people- his own son and brothers- the way he treated them and used them and dragged them into hell because he was bitter about how awful he was. “That part was all me.”

Schlatt laughed. “I guess we’re just a couple of dick-headed bastards, huh?”

Wilbur nodded as memories began to flood his mind, the thoughts leaking from his eyes in a flurry of colorful liquid, letting them all slip away from him and clinging closely to the ones he cherished most-  _ needed _ most-

Baking with Tubbo and Niki and Fundy, When L’manburg was whole, How they fought for the freedom of that country, making fun of Tommy and watching him get worked up, Sparring with Techno when they were kids and they didn’t need to worry about the world, the wind on his skin on summer days in the flower fields, Being a loved and just president before everything went to shit, people cheering for him as he said things he wouldn’t soon forget or regret, Fundy and Sally as a family in that cabin in the woods, Niki and her steadfast smiles and compassion, the damned van that started it all as some fucking joke, Tubbo working late into the day to build things, Phil wrapping his wings around him before the explosion could harm him, the first time and every other time he saw Sally and loved her, Phil holding him in his arms and loving him despite the sword in his chest, The explosion, the ocean, breathing when the world felt right, winning the elections, Pogtopia in the ravine, Techno’s armory before they fought for a land he would destroy, the books, the tunnels, the symphony of arrows that berated him and his companions.

He turned over and saw the same thing happening to Schlatt- colorful tears that reflected memories upon memories upon memories, weeping away and colliding with the soil.

Wilbur lifted his fist and bumped it against his old friend’s shoulder and the man’s face turned to him.

“You ready, asshole?”

Schlatt smiled in spite of the memories fleeing away, and reflected Wilbur as his fist pumped against his shoulder.

“Hell yeah, fuckwad.”

Wilbur closed his eyes, and took a breath of air.

He would be alright.

He thought of his family, smiling together for a photo from ages ago, from before they left home. He thought of Tubbo, and his smiling mischievous face that could deceive all the maids in the castle. He thought of Tommy, and his stupid laugh- all shout, that damn laugh. He thought of Techno and the way he would go ‘haah?’ when he got caught off guard. He thought of Phil and how when they were younger tried to control how much they cursed, all in vain, and would laugh about it later.

Wilbur smiled.

_ I love them… _

And the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was supposed to be another story between this one and that last one abt Wilbur and Sally- but I ended up finishing this one first lol. It doesn’t matter much though bc of the way the fic is written.   
> And yes, this is part one of what I think might be a three part story abt Wilbur/Ghostbur.   
> Anyway, as always, thank you for reading Starry Nights! Stay Fresh and Minty, Folks!

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing nonstop angst for about a month now and I needed some sweet wholesome fluff to start off this fic.
> 
> Anyway I'm excited for this fic and I can't wait to scatter all sorts of little stories here!! I have my own tidbits of lore I created for this story for helping with filling in plotholes or for simple flavor. I encourage you to ask me questions about the world and characters, but other than that, thank you for reading Starry Nights! Stay Fresh and Minty, Folks!


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